FCCC/CP/2019/13/Add.1
31
those national inventory arrangements since their previous national communication or
biennial report.
V. Policies and measures
A. Selection of policies and measures to be reported in the national
communication
9. In accordance with Article 12, paragraph 2, of the Convention, Parties shall
communicate information on policies and measures adopted to implement their commitments
under Article 4, paragraph 2(a) and (b), of the Convention, which need not have the limitation
or reduction of GHG emissions or the enhancement of removals as a primary objective.
10. In their reporting, Parties should give priority to policies and measures, or
combinations of policies and measures, that have the most significant impact on GHG
emissions and removals, and they may also indicate those that are innovative and/or
effectively replicable by other Parties. Parties may report on adopted policies and measures
and those in the planning stage, but should clearly distinguish them from implemented
policies and measures. The national communication does not have to report every policy and
measure that affects GHG emissions.
11. Policies and measures reported on should be: those implemented (those for which one
or more of the following applies: (1) national legislation is in force; (2) one or more voluntary
agreements have been established; (3) financial resources have been allocated; and (4) human
resources have been mobilized); those adopted (those for which an official government
decision has been made and there is a clear commitment to proceed with implementation);
and/or those planned (options under discussion or announced and with a realistic chance of
being adopted and implemented in the future) by governments at the national, state,
provincial, regional and local levels, as applicable. Furthermore, policies and measures
reported may also include those adopted in the context of regional or international efforts.
12. Parties should report on actions taken to implement their commitments under Article
4, paragraph 2(e)(ii), of the Convention, which requires them to identify and periodically
update their own policies and practices that encourage activities that lead to greater levels of
anthropogenic GHG emissions than would otherwise occur. Parties should also provide the
rationale for such actions in the context of their national communications.
13. Parties are encouraged to provide, to the extent possible, detailed information on the
assessment of the economic and social consequences of response measures.
B. Structure of the policies and measures section of the national
communication
14. Parties shall organize the reporting on policies and measures by sector, indicating
which GHGs (CO
2
, methane (CH
4
), nitrous oxide (N
2
O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF
6
) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF
3
)) are
affected by which policies and measures. To the extent appropriate, the following sectors
should be considered: energy, transport, industry/industrial processes and product use,
agriculture, forestry/land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), waste
management/waste, other sectors and cross-cutting. Each sector shall have its own textual
description of the significant policies and measures, as set out in section D below,
supplemented by table 1 below. Parties may include separate text describing cross-sectoral
policies and measures. Policies and measures influencing GHG emissions from international
transport should be reported under the transport sector.
15. In cases where a policy or measure has been maintained over time and is thoroughly
described in a Party’s previous national communication and/or biennial report, reference
should be made to it and only a brief description contained in the latest national
communication, focusing on any alterations to the policy or measure or effects achieved.